PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B

PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B cause or worsen serious or fatal autoimmune, ischemic, neuropsychiatric, and infectious illnesses. Patients with these diseases should be examined on a regular basis by clinical and laboratory testing, and they should discontinue taking PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B. Many, but not all, of these issues are resolved once the PEG-Intron medicine is stopped.

Only a physician with experience managing hepatitis C patients should initiate and monitor treatment.

Pregnancy must be avoided at all costs in female patients or partners of male patients taking PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B in combination with ribavirin. Females of childbearing potential must use an effective contraceptive during treatment and four months after treatment. Male patients or their female partners must use an effective contraceptive during treatment and for seven months after treatment is completed.

The use of PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B in children and adolescents with serious psychiatric problems is not advised.

Patients having a history of depression and/or suicide attempts should be closely monitored.

Use of PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B is contraindicated in populations with hypersensitivity to the active substance, to any interferon, or to any of the excipients present in PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B.

Let your doctor know if you have a history of severe pre-existing cardiac disease, including unstable or uncontrolled cardiac disease in the previous six months, severe, debilitating medical conditions, autoimmune hepatitis or a history of autoimmune disease, severe hepatic dysfunction or decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, pre-existing thyroid disease unless it can be controlled with conventional treatment, epilepsy and/or compromised central nervous system (CNS) function and HCV/HIV patients with cirrhosis and a Child-Pugh score ≥ 6.

Drug-Drug Interactions: PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B may interact with medications used to treat chronic hepatitis B (e.g. telbivudine) and opioid analgesic (e.g. Methadone)

Drug-Food Interactions: No interactions found/established.

Drug-Disease Interactions: PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B may interact with various disease conditions, including depression, suicidal tendency, substance use/abuse, Cardiac disease, Autoimmune hepatitis or a history of autoimmune disease, severe hepatic dysfunction or decompensated cirrhosis of the liver, Pre-existing thyroid disease, Epilepsy and/or compromised central nervous system (CNS) function and HCV/HIV patients with cirrhosis and a Child-Pugh score ≥ 6.

• Avoid heavily processed foods and saturated fats.
• Include fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in the diet.
• Try to stay active. Choose moderate exercises.
• Quit smoking.
• Prevent stress by doing meditation or yoga.

• Patients receiving PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B therapy should have haematological and blood chemistry testing before beginning treatment and then on a regular basis thereafter.
• PEGINTERFERON ALFA 2B, alone or in combination with ribavirin, may result in significant reductions in neutrophil and platelet counts, as well as hematologic, endocrine (e.g., TSH), and hepatic problems.